MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – 8 Dec 11

• Afghanistan (1)  Terry Glavin questions U.S. support of Pakistan in light of claims that it helped some of the nutbars claiming credit for the mosque attacks in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif. 
• Afghanistan (2)  “The international community’s 2014 exit strategy from Afghanistan rests on two pillars: training an Afghan security force that can stand on its own feet, and fostering regional co-operation on a conflict that defies borders. Forging a political settlement with the Taliban is considered by most to be the indispensable third pillar of this strategy, even if U.S. and NATO officials are reticent to recognize it as such. Unfortunately, an assessment of progress in all three areas gives cause for serious concern ….”
• Dear Prime Minister:  Please send in the military to help Attawapiskat First Nation.  Signed, Nicole Turmel, Leader, NDP.  Letter (PDF) here, NDP news release here, as well as some media coverage here, here and here.  According to this CP story, Canada Command says it’s received no request for help yet.
• A bit of history on the last time the CF was called in to help a remote northern Ontario First Nation (usual Wikipedia caveats apply) - archived CF fact sheet on Operation CANOPY here (PDF).
• DefMin’s Chopper Ride Woes (1)  Pilot of chopper seems to get Minister off the hook (more here and here) ….
• DefMin’s Chopper Ride Woes (2)  …. but the Minister’s not going to be around for a few days….
• DefMin’s Chopper Ride Woes (3)  …. and he’s threatening to sue anyone for saying he lied.
• What’s Canada Buying? (1)  East coast firm to get some work if their partners get the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) contract.  “L-3 Electronic Systems has teamed up with Elbit Systems Land in a bid to bring portions of two large military projects to Nova Scotia. L-3, which has about 170 employees in this province, could add another 30 people to the roster at its Enfield plant if it is successful in its bid to help put together and maintain the army’s new tactical armoured patrol vehicles. “We’re in the hundreds of millions of dollars for the total contract of dual (remote weapons systems),” Gerry Morey, a former air force officer who now works for L-3 in Nova Scotia, said Wednesday. “And then there’s the export options as well that we’re obviously interested in.” L-3, a subsidiary of New York City’s L-3 Communications, and Israel’s Elbit — working together as Canterra Solutions — are hoping to supply weapon systems for Force Protection’s contender in the race to provide the army with about $1 billion worth of new armoured vehicles. “Basically it’s a dual remote weapons system, which means it’s two guns, a 40-millimetre gun and a 12.76-(millimetre) gun with camera systems and laser-warning systems and 40-millimetre smoke grenades on it,” Morey said. “It’s remotely controllable from inside the cabin without any external exposure of personnel.” The work here would largely involve maintaining the weapons and then handing them over to an assembler in New Brunswick, he said. “A lot of the supply chain might be outside the province.” In September, Dieppe’s Malley Industries Inc. announced it could be adding 120 new manufacturing jobs if Ottawa picks Force Protection’s Timberwolf as the army’s new vehicle. Other companies competing to build Canada’s new tactical armoured patrol vehicles include Oshkosh, BAE Systems and Textron Marine & Land Systems ….”  More info on the TAPV project here.
• What’s Canada Buying? (1)  More boilable pouches for rations.
• F-35 Tug o’ War  Mark Collins on “F-35 clearly not ready for prime time”
• Permieter Security Deal (1)  How this new deal is going to help Canada, via the Government of Canada Info-Machine (LOADS of backgrounders on various elements of the deal at the link, too):  “…. “Billions of dollars worth of goods and hundreds of thousands of people cross our shared border every day,” said Prime Minister Harper. “Moving security to the perimeter of our continent will transform our border and create jobs and growth in Canada by improving the flow of goods and people between our two countries.” ….”  More here, here,
• Permieter Security Deal (2)  How it’s helping U.S. President Obama:  “…. Canada is going to help him achieve his political objectives thanks to the $1 billion border perimeter deal aimed at streamlining trade while protecting the continent from the type of terrorist attacks that still haunt Americans 10 years after Sept. 11, 2001. The deal will not only improve screening procedures for travellers and passengers before they arrive in North America, it will also create domestic jobs, the president said. “Canada is key to achieving my goal of doubling American exports and putting folks back to work,” Obama said. “Put simply, we’re going to make it easier to conduct the trade and travel that creates jobs, and we’re going to make it harder for those who would do us harm and threaten our security.” ….”
• Japan apologizes to Canada’s former prisoners of war – Canada accepts the apology.  More here, here and here.  Earlier this week, Japan honoured Brian Mulroney for apologizing to and compensating the Japanese interred in World War 2 here in Canada.